In her book, Alderton describes her personal experiences with MS and her decision to try dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and complementary therapies to treat her condition. She attributes her current good health to the changes she made. David Lyons: When were you diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and what were your symptoms? Kellie Alderton: I was diagnosed in 1988 at the age of 17. I’m now 48. My first symptom was chronic fatigue. I had to stay in bed for weeks at a time. Then I developed optic neuritis a few months later, which led to my diagnosis. DL: What are your symptoms currently? KA: I am living symptom-free going on 15 years! A healthy diet, workout program, and positive mind-set have helped me get to this point. I’ve enjoyed working out my whole life. I was in sports growing up, and I love lifting weights. From my initial diagnosis, in 1988, until 2001, I was very limited in what I could do because of my constant symptoms. I suffered from numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, weakness in my limbs, and extreme fatigue. I also overheated very easily. Since turning to holistic and healing therapies to deal with the MS — including a healthy diet and working out consistently — my body has gotten stronger. DL: How did you get started on an exercise program? KA: Being in sports since I was young (softball and basketball), I’ve always known that working out and staying active was important to my health. DL: What’s your current exercise routine? KA: Lifting weights, Pilates, walking, stretching, dancing; I try to make sure I stay active every day. After all, a body in motion stays in motion! KA: Previously, it was unsteady gait, numbness and tingling, and muscle weakness. Now that I’m living symptom-free, I have absolutely no challenges with my workouts, which is another testament that our body can heal and repair when we give it the right environment to do so. DL: How did you choose a nutrition plan to fight MS? KA: I’ve studied nutrition for well over a decade and thoroughly investigated what foods and supplements could help support and heal my body. Taking all that information into account, I then found a healthy approach that worked for me and my food sensitivities. DL: What is your current nutrition plan, and how has it evolved over the years? KA: I use to be a junk food junkie and never knew that our diets could greatly affect our MS. My diet has evolved over the years to a more anti-inflammatory diet with a focus on eating lots of organic fruits and veggies, juicing regularly, and choosing organic chicken and wild-caught fish. I limit red-meat consumption and dairy. I also limit processed foods and those that contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms). I try to think about everything I put into my body: Will it lessen inflammation or create more inflammation? You really start to see food differently from that perspective. DL: Were there any times when you wanted to quit or give up? KA: In the first 13 years after my diagnosis, many times I was frustrated, distraught, and depressed, because my quality of life was horrible. I honestly didn’t know there were ways to heal. DL: How did you stay motivated to continue your exercise and nutrition program? KA: After I turned to natural ways to heal and repair my body, I never looked back. I got stronger and felt better each and every day, so that motivated me to keep on this path and keep pushing through! Once I started seeing results and feeling better, there was nothing like it, so I would never want to go back to my old ways. I also stayed focused on the successes I was having each day and celebrated them, no matter how small. DL: How has working out and changing your diet changed your life? KA: They saved my life. I went from being sick and having constant relapses, with no quality of life, to being healthy, strong, and symptom-free. It’s really a lifestyle now. DL: What fitness goals do you have set for the future? KA: My fitness goals are to get even stronger through weightlifting, basketball, indoor rock climbing, hiking, horseback riding, and even scheduling some time to go white-water rafting. I believe in switching things up and finding fun activities to stay fit and healthy. DL: What do you think of the MS Fitness Challenge message, that fitness, nutrition, and mind-set matter when managing MS? KA: I think the MS Fitness Challenge is important and can be a part of every MSer’s breakthrough. This gives everyone a place to go, to not only see we’re all in this together, but to also show us we can be proactive and in control of our body and our life with MS. People in all different stages of MS can find beneficial resources to help them on their own journey. DL: Do you have any advice for those who want to conquer MS through fitness? KA: Yes! Everyone should take a deep breath and realize this is a process. We know the body was made to heal if we give it the right environment to do so. The MS diagnosis is simply the end result of something being off and out of balance in the body, so we must focus on exercise, nutrition, and our mind-set to beat this. Also, after years of personal development with some of the world’s top inspirational and motivational leaders, I’ve realized that we need to be laser-beam focused on thinking the right way, so studying meditation, personal development, or engaging in prayer can keep us on the path to developing the right kind of attitude that will help us get through the rough patches on this road to healing.
